Noisy Neighbours - the Man City thread

[Marky147]

I love watching your mob play, and I'm a United fan, in the loosest possible term

[DungBeetle]

Great match vs Napoli. Really exciting to watch and so glad that Sterling is getting a run in the side and seems to be doing well. Bodes well for the national team.

Was a great game and essentially mirrored the Etihad match but reversed; we were sloppy and not at the races in the first 30 mins or so, but then began to get a foothold in proceedings and ended the half on top, and probs the best team in the 2nd half too and worthy winners by the final whistle.

To go to Napoli, who are steamrolling Serie A, and score 4 is quite incredible. To do it with both Silva's, Jesus and Walker on the bench really underlines the quality of the squad. We so lacked these options last year, such an improvement on Navas, Fernando, Clichy, Nolito, Sagna etc

Was a solid team performance, but extra credit has to go to the defence for a tight 90 minutes facing a strong attacking team, and to the players like Gundogan and Danilo who haven't had loads of game time but stepped in seamlessly. Thought Sterling was excellent and caused them problems all game. He's making a mockery of people who were quick to write him off. In all honesty I think Sterling should fuck off the national team, but I just hate international football

Can't not mention the record breaker. Take a bow Sergio, take a bow.

Ralph's boys next up on Sunday....

I still maintain that Sterling is toilet and would struggle to get into Watford’s team.  Although I am worrying this view may be proved wrong I won’t shift on it till he’s kept this up till January

[DungBeetle]

Now I’m tanked up in Vegas I want to have another rant about Sterling.  When you were beating us 5-0 the guy had missed a couple of sitters.  You then got a penalty and the rest of the City team let him take it out of sympathy.  He scored and proceeds to celebrate likes he’s scored the winning goal in a Champions League final. 

What a bawbag.

Thanks for listening.  Having another drink.

[tikay]

Had to decide between watching (on TV, obv) Spurs v Real or the City game. Chose the latter, & was a good decision - thoroughly entertaining.

Not to state the bloody obvious, but this City team are extraordinarily good. But - & here's the thing, not just good, but good to watch.

[hhyftrftdr]

Now I’m tanked up in Vegas I want to have another rant about Sterling.  When you were beating us 5-0 the guy had missed a couple of sitters.  You then got a penalty and the rest of the City team let him take it out of sympathy.  He scored and proceeds to celebrate likes he’s scored the winning goal in a Champions League final. 

What a bawbag.

Thanks for listening.  Having another drink.

He also has 2 sinks as well, what a twat

[flushthemout]

what a few days away that was, fantastic game, Shame only 45,000 fans witnessed it as it was a bank holiday in Italy yesterday. Filled the bars up in the port area about 11am and they just kept bringing drinks to the tables, the bar owner kept shooting off on his vespa to get boxes of Peroni. Cooked pizzas and placed them on the tables as a complimentary gesture. Worst bit of the trip was we left the stadium 2 hrs after final whistle which was a joke but then an hour coach trip for 30 coaches back to the port. God bless Italian drivers how do they drive that fast and so close to cars in front of them?  Still a bit hungover so probably stay in Gatwick tonight and dream off next adventure with my Boy.

[Archer]

A dreamland sequence of performances and results. In the league alone it is 19 games (half a season worth) since the defeat at Chelsea last season and made up of 16 wins and 3 draws with 61 goals scored and 12 conceded.

I thought it was a comfortable win yesterday whilst being below par (based on recent weeks) with the final ball and finishing. Looked a bit leggy with the exception of David Silva who physically was immense and no coincidence he only played 20 mins at Napoli.

I thought Arsenal flattered to deceive. I checked the xG (only to the start of last season) and it is the lowest Arsenal have had in an individual game since then. No wonder Arsene wanted a whinge. TBF Wenger had a point about the Silva offside goal but the Sterling penalty was a penalty IMO and the media seem to agree. However, his comments about Sterling are as low as you can get:

www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/05/arsene-wenger-accuses-raheem-sterling-diving-arsenal-manchester-city

Is this a penalty?

 https://streamable.com/cpw9h

[Graham C]

I thought it was a pen and am not sure what Wenger is moaning about.    Perhaps his comments at Sterling were partly fuelled by Sterling's "I was never going to join Arsenal" snub just before the transfer window shut?  I don't know, God knows what make Wenger tick these days.

[hhyftrftdr]

A dreamland sequence of performances and results. In the league alone it is 19 games (half a season worth) since the defeat at Chelsea last season and made up of 16 wins and 3 draws with 61 goals scored and 12 conceded.

I thought it was a comfortable win yesterday whilst being below par (based on recent weeks) with the final ball and finishing. Looked a bit leggy with the exception of David Silva who physically was immense and no coincidence he only played 20 mins at Napoli.

I thought Arsenal flattered to deceive. I checked the xG (only to the start of last season) and it is the lowest Arsenal have had in an individual game since then. No wonder Arsene wanted a whinge. TBF Wenger had a point about the Silva offside goal but the Sterling penalty was a penalty IMO and the media seem to agree. However, his comments about Sterling are as low as you can get:

www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/05/arsene-wenger-accuses-raheem-sterling-diving-arsenal-manchester-city

Is this a penalty?

 https://streamable.com/cpw9h

We certainly looked a bit leggy yesterday, highlighted by our sometimes poor decisions/execution in the final 3rd, but even City at 75% were far too good for Arsenal. I'm not sure if the international break is a good or bad thing; I hope it doesn't interrupt our momentum but some of our players look like they need a breather from the PL.

Otamendi suspended for Leicester in 2 weeks so I wonder if Vinny will be drafted back in? I imagine if he's not fit then Pep might tinker with the formation rather than hand Mangala a start. Always an option of moving Fernandinho to centre half, or Danilo can fill in there too. We were mullered there last season with our tactics completely at odds with Leicester's obvious threat, I'm sure Pep learnt plenty from that and won't adopt a similar approach this time.

Wenger really looks a fool with his post match comments. It was a clear penalty. Yes, Silva was marginally offside but it was close, certainly a type of decision that will go for and against you numerous times over the course of a season. It wasn't as if Merlin was 5 yards off.

If I was an Arsenal fan (God forbid) I'd want to know why he starts Lacazette on the bench, and the bizarre tactical approach to the game. Futile to blame the officials when you're comprehensively beaten by a far superior team. And that's where Arsenal's problems are; not one of their players would get anywhere near our starting XI, and only maybe one or 2 would make the squad (Lacazette, Sanchez). They have a load of decent players but lack any world class talent. Things look very stale in their camp and it will continue that way until Wenger is moved on. I hope he gets another new contract

[nirvana]

Think Bellerin would get in by a squeak and that's it

[hhyftrftdr]

Think Bellerin would get in by a squeak and that's it

Excuse my ignorance, left or right back? We've been linked with him previously so I really should know....

Gonna assume LB, he can battle with Delph for the spot obv wouldn't get a look in when Mendy is fit.

[nirvana]

Think Bellerin would get in by a squeak and that's it

Excuse my ignorance, left or right back? We've been linked with him previously so I really should know....

Gonna assume LB, he can battle with Delph for the spot obv wouldn't get a look in when Mendy is fit.

Not much between him and Walker with more potential I'd say

[nirvana]

Pen was a pen but poor offside goal to be allowed. Lino not watching or trying to be too good as he wouldn't have got any criticism for flagging since it 'looked' offside and was. Time for videos on all offside decisions where a goal is later scored. 10 secs for a ref to say 'any reason not to give it' if the law is black and white on offside

[muckthenuts]

A dreamland sequence of performances and results. In the league alone it is 19 games (half a season worth) since the defeat at Chelsea last season and made up of 16 wins and 3 draws with 61 goals scored and 12 conceded.

I thought it was a comfortable win yesterday whilst being below par (based on recent weeks) with the final ball and finishing. Looked a bit leggy with the exception of David Silva who physically was immense and no coincidence he only played 20 mins at Napoli.

I thought Arsenal flattered to deceive. I checked the xG (only to the start of last season) and it is the lowest Arsenal have had in an individual game since then. No wonder Arsene wanted a whinge. TBF Wenger had a point about the Silva offside goal but the Sterling penalty was a penalty IMO and the media seem to agree. However, his comments about Sterling are as low as you can get:

www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/05/arsene-wenger-accuses-raheem-sterling-diving-arsenal-manchester-city

Is this a penalty?

 https://streamable.com/cpw9h

We certainly looked a bit leggy yesterday, highlighted by our sometimes poor decisions/execution in the final 3rd, but even City at 75% were far too good for Arsenal. I'm not sure if the international break is a good or bad thing; I hope it doesn't interrupt our momentum but some of our players look like they need a breather from the PL.

Otamendi suspended for Leicester in 2 weeks so I wonder if Vinny will be drafted back in? I imagine if he's not fit then Pep might tinker with the formation rather than hand Mangala a start. Always an option of moving Fernandinho to centre half, or Danilo can fill in there too. We were mullered there last season with our tactics completely at odds with Leicester's obvious threat, I'm sure Pep learnt plenty from that and won't adopt a similar approach this time.

Wenger really looks a fool with his post match comments. It was a clear penalty. Yes, Silva was marginally offside but it was close, certainly a type of decision that will go for and against you numerous times over the course of a season. It wasn't as if Merlin was 5 yards off.

If I was an Arsenal fan (God forbid) I'd want to know why he starts Lacazette on the bench, and the bizarre tactical approach to the game. Futile to blame the officials when you're comprehensively beaten by a far superior team. And that's where Arsenal's problems are; not one of their players would get anywhere near our starting XI, and only maybe one or 2 would make the squad (Lacazette, Sanchez). They have a load of decent players but lack any world class talent. Things look very stale in their camp and it will continue that way until Wenger is moved on. I hope he gets another new contract

Can't disagree with any of that. Personally Wenger's contract renewal led to a level of apathy I've never experienced before as an Arsenal fan. There might have been a time I would have cared about the refereeing decisions yesterday, but now it just feels like a minor detail in the bigger picture of stale mediocrity.

[pleno1]

Walker is 10x the player of Bellerin.